TORONTO (October 24, 2013) – Are you ready to get up close and personal, Original Six™ style? Sportsnet today announced its broadcast schedule for the highly-anticipated four-part documentary series 24/7 Red Wings/Maple Leafs: Road to the NHL Winter Classic, premiering on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario and Pacific. Encore presentations will be available in prime time on Mondays on City at 10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. CT, 8 p.m. MT and onSportsnet 360 at 11 p.m. ET (see full broadcast schedule below).

Airing exclusively in Canada on Sportsnet and City, 24/7 Red Wings/Maple Leafs: Road to the NHL Winter Classic will provide an all-access pass to the events leading up to the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic®, headlined by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings playing outdoors at Michigan Stadium on the University of Michigan campus on January 1, 2014. The groundbreaking series will be narrated by Liev Schreiber, and marks the first time a Canadian NHL team will be featured in the Emmy® award-winning 24/7 documentary series.

Four key brands in Canada have also signed on as presenting sponsors of 24/7 Red Wings/Maple Leafs: Road to the NHL Winter Classic on Sportsnet and City, including Molson Canadian, Tim Hortons, Recharge with Milk, and Ford F-150. Each sponsorship agreement features customized, multiplatform business solutions across all five platforms: TV, radio, digital, mobile and print.

“Through our agreement with the NHL, which includes extensive, multiplatform coverage across Sportsnet and City, this marks the first time the coveted 24/7 series is available for advertising and sponsorship opportunities, and is available to more Canadians than ever before,” said Scott Moore, President, Broadcast, Rogers Media. “Fans are going to see the players and coaches of these storied Original Six franchises in a way they’ve never experienced, and there is no question it will be appointment TV for viewers everywhere – this series is going to be huge. We’re proud to partner with the NHL and our sponsors to deliver this type of premium content to Canadians.”

“HBO’s 24/7 has been a game-changer for us. The wide-open access our clubs provide on and off the ice gives a real sense of what it takes to play in the NHL and just how special our players are. Our fans love it and there’s no question new fans have been attracted by watching the games and the personalities come alive through the lens of HBO’s storytelling. Red Wings-Maple Leafs will provide no shortage of great stories and having Sportsnet as our first partner in Canada will make this year’s edition bigger than ever,” said John Collins, COO, NHL.

“The Players are excited to be a part of an HBO 24/7, because it will provide a compelling, behind-the-scenes look at the path they take to the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic,” said Mike Ouellet, NHLPA Chief of Business Affairs. “The Winter Classic has become a staple on the NHL calendar, and 24/7 showcases some of the greatest athletes in the world to sports fans everywhere through the reach of HBO and Sportsnet. We are pleased and proud to once again be a part of this innovative series.”

Today’s announcement enhances Sportsnet’s commitment to keeping hockey fans connected to their home team first. Sportsnet is the official regional television broadcast rights holder for the Toronto Maple Leafs (including radio rights on Sportsnet 590 The FAN), Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames (including radio rights on Sportsnet 960 The FAN), Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators, and delivers more Canadian NHL team games on TV than any other broadcaster, in addition to unparalleled coverage across radio, digital and print.

About SportsnetSportsnet connects Canadian sports fans to their favourite teams and athletes, using five platforms: TV, Radio, Print, Online and Mobile. Sportsnet is Fuelled By Fans, and delivers storytelling on a local, regional, national and global level. The multiplatform brand consists of Sportsnet, sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet 960 The FAN, Sportsnet magazine, Sportsnet Mobile and the Hockey Central app on iPad and Playbook. Sportsnet consists of four regional channels (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific), and the nationally-distributed Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet World, and Sportsnet 360. Sportsnet is the Canadian leader in NHL and MLB television broadcasts and is home to 162 Toronto Blue Jays games, plus MLB Playoffs and the World Series. Sportsnet is an official cable broadcaster of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games as well as an official licensed broadcaster of the 2014 FIFA World Cup BrazilTM. It offers an exciting sports lineup including the NFL, the Memorial Cup, CIS Vanier Cup, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Grand Slam of Curling, IZOD IndyCar Series, the Rogers Cup tennis tournament, and extensive soccer programming including Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, MLS Vancouver Whitecaps FC, CONCACAF and Canadian national team matches for men and women. Connected is the network’s nightly news program, providing regional and national coverage of the day’s events in the world of sports.

About the NHL

The National Hockey League®, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the four major professional team sports leagues in North America. Today, the NHL® consists of 30 Member Clubs, each reflecting the League’s international makeup, with players from more than 20 countries represented on team rosters. According to a Simmons Market Research study, NHL fans are younger, more educated, more affluent, and access content through digital means more than any other sport. The NHL entertains more than 250 million fans each season in-arena and through its partners in national television (NBC Sports Network, NBC, TSN, CBC, RDS, RIS, MTG, and NHL Network™) and radio (NHL Radio™, SiriusXM Radio). Through the NHL Foundation, the League’s charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer™ and NHL Youth Development, and supports the charitable efforts of NHL players. For more information on the NHL, log on to NHL.com.

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